"On the morning of the day several friends met together. They reached Cross Hall before family prayers. Mr. Fletcher . . . read Rev. xix. 7- 9: 'Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give honour to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come,' etc. Mr. Fletcher then spoke from these verses in such a manner as greatly tended to spiritualise the solemnities of the day. He said, 'We invite you to our wedding, but the Holy Ghost invites you to the marriage of the Lamb. The bride, the Lamb's wife, represents the whole Church, triumphant and militant united together. You may all be the bride, and Jesus will condescend to be the Bridegroom. Make yourselves ready by being filled with the Spirit.' He then engaged in prayer. . . . They were married in the face of the congregation; the doors were opened, and everyone came in that would. We then returned home, and spent a considerable time in singing and prayer. There were nearly twenty of us.... "From dinner, which was a spiritual meal as well as a natural one, until tea-time, our time was chiefly spent in prayer or singing. After singing the covenant hymn Mr. Fletcher went to Mrs. Fletcher and said to her, 'Well, my dearest friend, will you unite with me in joining ourselves in a perpetual covenant to the Lord? Will you with me serve Him in His members? Will you help me to bring souls to the Blessed Redeemer? And in every possible way this day lay yourself under the strongest ties you can, to help me to glorify my gracious Lord?' She answered, 'May God help me so to do!' "In the evening Mr. Valton preached in the hall from 'What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.' His words did not fall to the ground; many were greatly refreshed. After the preaching there was a sweet contest among us; everyone thought, 'I, in particular, owe the greatest debt of praise'; at length we agreed to sing-- "I'll praise my Maker while I've breath, And when my voice is lost in death Praise shall employ my nobler powers; My days of praise shall ne'er be past, While life, and thought, and being last, Or immortality endures!" CHAPTER XXII. LIFE AT MADELEY. When a post-chaise drove up to Cross Hall on January and, the crack of the whip made sweet music in the ears of Mrs. Fletcher, for behind those horses she was to make her bridal journey to Madeley, where they were to take up their work together in the name of the Lord. Cries the praiseful diary:-- "How shall I find language to express the goodness of the Lord! I know no want but that of more grace. I have a husband in everything suited to me. He bears with all my faults and failings in a manner that continually reminds me of the text, 'Love your wives as Christ loved the church.' His constant endeavour is to make me happy; his strongest desire is for my spiritual growth. He is, in every sense of the word, the man my highest reason chooses to obey."